Growing Potatoes in Bags or Bins.

If your garden is small, or even if you have no garden, you can still grow potatoes. In fact if you grow them under cover you can harvest your first potatoes up to a month early (or even at Christmas).

You start off either with a bin (an old dustbin is great) or a large bag (I find the bags compost come in is great- turn them inside out so they are just black and look nice.) If you are using a bin, put crocks in the bottom for drainage. A hole or two wouldn’t go amiss. If you are using bags, make a few holes at the bottom for drainage.

Place 3 -4 ins of soil or compost in the bottom of your container. Spread out you seed potatoes on top of the soil. (5-6 is more then enough in both a dustbin or compost bag. This will not give you huge potatoes but will give you a decent harvest of medium sized potatoes. Next put 3-4 ins of soil or compost on top of you seed potatoes.

When you see green shoots from your seeds, then cover then with another 6ins of soil or compost. Repeat this process 4 or 5 times or until the bag or bin is three quarters full. Always leave the top of the bag open to the elements.

If you are growing the potatoes under cover, then you will need to water them regularly. Otherwise only water in dry weather.Be careful not to overwater – your potatoes will rot and smell nasty.

Your potatoes will grow normally as though you are growing them in your garden. Just leave them to do their thing. For early potatoes, you harvest when the flowers form and use the potatoes immediately. This will be in June to July for first early potatoes and in July – September for Second Earlies. For Maincrop Potatoes You leave them until after the flowering period is finished. Then harvest. This will be in September to October. Really, though, this method is best used for Early Potatoes.

To Harvest your potatoes, you simply empty your bin or bag. It is as easy as that. You get good potatoes with very little problem from any pests or diseases.

0 comments ↓

There are no comments yet...Kick things off by filling out the form below.